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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29799837">Finding You Again</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethanchristopher/pseuds/ethanchristopher'>ethanchristopher</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Childhood Friends, Confessions, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Karasuno, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Mentioned Hinata Shouyou, Mentioned Kageyama Tobio, Nekoma, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Volleyball Dorks in Love, no beta we die like men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:26:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,882</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29799837</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethanchristopher/pseuds/ethanchristopher</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The day Tadashi left, he came to Kenma’s one last time, tears falling down his red cheeks. Kenma gave Tadashi an envelope and took his hands.</p><p>“We’ll find each other again, okay?” It was all he said, then pressing a kiss to Tadashi’s cheek.</p><p>OR: Yamaguchi and Kenma are childhood friends with the slightest of crushes on one another. Tadashi moves away, but he and Kenma will reunite.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kozume Kenma/Yamaguchi Tadashi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Finding You Again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Yamaguchi Tadashi had known Kozume Kenma since they were 5 and 6 years old respectively. They were next door neighbors in a cozy town just outside of Tokyo, and growing up with few other neighbors their own age, they became inseparable. Their parents were all too happy about the situation, knowing their boys were shy and a bit anti-social. It pleased their parents to know Tadashi and Kenma had found friendship in one another.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Days were passed inside and out, making up games and catching bugs. The two boys had few other friends but never minded so long as they could play pretend and chase each other across their front yards. As they aged they grew closer still, and it seemed they were destined to do everything together.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kenma loved video games from the start, playing Mario Kart and Pokemon until he was sent to bed (and even then, he sometimes stayed up with his Gameboy under the covers). Tadashi begged for a Nintendo DS in order to trade Pokemon and play alongside Kenma. The two boys found that they could spend hours in each other’s company without saying more than a dozen words. It was comfortable, though not silent due to the many chirps and beeps of whatever game they had selected for the day.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Tadashi turned 11, one year from beginning middle school, he told his parents he wanted to play volleyball. They were more than happy to invest in some supplies, setting up a short net in their backyard for him to practice. Kenma was all too curious about this new hobby, though he tried to play it off as a simple interest in watching his friend play.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As the days passed and Kenma watched Tadashi struggle to practice on his own, Kenma offered to help him practice. As it turned out, Kenma too was incredibly adept at the sport. Being in middle school himself, he reached out to the school’s sponsor to ask about joining the team (at Tadashi’s encouragement). After a short tryout, he was placed on the team immediately.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tadashi was over the moon for Kenma, and they began practicing together each day after school. Kenma seemed to be soaring past Tadashi as far as skill goes, but neither seemed to mind, and Kenma still gave Tadashi a soft smile and a “great job, Tadashi” each time he received the ball. The other boy would promptly flush at the praise and wonder why his stomach felt as though it was full of knots.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Unbeknownst to the two boys, Tadashi’s father had been looking into getting a new job, one that would take them outside of Tokyo. When Tadashi was finally presented with this news, he raced over to Kenma’s, pressing his face into his friend’s chest and sobbing. Kenma hesitated only a moment before wrapping his arms around Tadashi tightly. He knew he cared about the boy fiercely, and knowing he was so upset caused something in his chest to clench up, a wretched feeling that Kenma was certain also had to do with the fact that one of his only friends would be leaving him, maybe forever.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The next few weeks, Tadashi spent packing. He was around Kenma as much as humanly possible, which was helped by the start of their summer break. It was full of playing video games, reading next to each other on Kenma’s bed, tossing a volleyball around, and finally watching the movies they always said they would. To Tadashi, it felt like dying. As if they were preparing to never see one another again. That reality stung worse than any other thought. He knew he would struggle to make other friends at a new school, he knew he would need time to adjust to moving to a new place, but the worst of it all was leaving Kenma. He couldn’t imagine life without the other boy and it created a deep wound that seemed to bleed and fill the rest of him with sadness.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The day Tadashi left, he came to Kenma’s one last time, tears falling down his red cheeks. Kenma gave Tadashi an envelope and took his hands.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’ll find each other again, okay?” It was all he said, then pressing a kiss to Tadashi’s cheek.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tadashi was aflame inside, stomach full of butterflies and cheeks burning redder still. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Kenma’s cheek in return. Kenma gave him a smile, one that Tadashi had learned were reserved only for him. He smiled back through the tears, wiping them away unceremoniously with his sleeve. He wrapped his arms around Kenma and they hugged tightly.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Open the envelope when you’re in your new place. I’ll see you soon, Dashi,” Kenma murmured. He took Tadashi’s hand one last time and squeezed it, letting go.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Tadashi and his parents drove away in the moving truck, he watched Kenma wave a goodbye, realizing neither boy had said the word. </span>
  <span class="s2">Goodbye</span>
  <span class="s1">, he thought, letting the word settle in his mind, mulling it over. </span>
  <span class="s2">I hope not</span>
  <span class="s1">.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Arriving at his new home, Tadashi entered what was to be his room. It was still empty, walls bare and desperate for posters and photos, floor clean and barren in anticipation of his bed, dresser, and desk. He sat down in the center of the room on the floor, pulling out the envelope. He opened it to find a few photos of himself and Kenma together (most of which had been taken by their parents without their knowledge, but he loved them anyway), a slip of paper with Kenma’s phone number, and a few Pokemon cards Kenma had known Tadashi needed for his collection. He found himself crying again. And he found himself touching the spot on his cheek Kenma had kissed, wondering why it still burned.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Starting middle school in a new place was not easy, but Tadashi did manage to make a friend of a tall boy named Tsukishima. Likewise, Kenma found friendship in a boisterous boy named Kuroo. They each progressed in volleyball, joining their respective teams, but due to the distance, never managing to play a game against one another.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They made frequent calls to one another, always able to find something to tell the other. Tadashi made sure to write down important things that happened so he would remember to ramble about them to Kenma. When he did this, Kenma often took on a grippingly fond tone, one that sent butterflies straight to Tadashi’s stomach. He wanted that fondness to be for him, wanted it to be his alone.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At times, they would video call online, a habit they picked up as Kenma became more and more invested in video games and the community surrounding them. When they had these video calls, the two boys would sometimes sit in silence, Kenma playing a game and Tadashi reading, or each studying simultaneously. But Tadashi couldn’t help but become distracted by looking at Kenma. Looking at his eyes scanning a textbook back and forth, staring at the way he held a controller with nimble hands. Tadashi began wondering about what it would be like to hold those hands in his own, and imagined staring into those eyes. His mind wandered to places he was unsure a young boy’s mind should go when thinking about one’s best friend. He would always flush and, face burning, return his gaze to his own work so as not to be caught.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kenma entered high school a year before Tadashi, and this terrified the younger boy. He was certain Kenma would find new friends and forget all about him. Fortunately, Kenma assured him that although he and Kuroo were playing volleyball for Nekoma and that Kuroo encouraged him to get out more, he would likely always prefer to be indoors playing his games and talking to Tadashi (a notion which made Tadashi blush when thinking about it for the next week).</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Just when it seemed that things were going to stay as they were, Tadashi entered high school. Joining the Karasuno team with Tsukishima and two other ferociously high energy first years, he found himself on a team destined to rise in the ranks. And one of the first steps, to Tadashi’s surprise, was a practice game with Nekoma.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The night he found out about the game, he called Kenma and excitedly gushed about being able to see him again. Kenma sounded slightly less than enthused, however. Tadashi gave pause and asked his friend if anything was wrong.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, nothing’s wrong. I’m excited to see you, it’s just...” He trailed off, almost seeming nervous.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tadashi quickly replied, “You don’t have to tell me! It’s okay, besides, erm... we probably won’t even see much of each other. I’m on the sidelines, remember?” He wasn’t certain, but it very much seemed to him that Kenma was having second thoughts about seeing him again. That maybe he had become so comfortable with a long distance friend that he didn’t even want to see Tadashi in person anymore. Tadashi began to think of all the catastrophic reasons why his friend wouldn’t want to see him anymore, and then wondered if they would stop talking altogether. He kept these thoughts to himself, far too anxious to bring his worries up to Kenma.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll tell you when I see you. I promise,” Kenma vowed, still a nervous tinge to his voice but sounding as if he had resolved to tell Tadashi whatever it was that he was thinking. This gave Tadashi a bit of relief, but nothing could stop the runaway train of his thoughts once they were soaring down the tracks.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The day of the practice game soon came, and Tadashi left the bus with shaky hands and sudden nausea. He raced inside to the bathroom and cupped some cold water to splash on himself.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He knew he was nursing a terrible crush on Kenma. That much was obvious (or at least, it had been the sixth time he had gushed to Tsukki about Kenma and the blond had expressed that if Tadashi didn’t stop rambling about his unrequited love he would throttle him). Tadashi knew he was probably head over heels for the boy, and likely had been for as long as he had known how to love another person. It had happened so naturally and so long ago, Tadashi hadn’t realized it was love. It just was, it was a simple truth he simply hadn’t realized yet. But now that he had, he couldn’t get the thought out of his mind. He was afraid he would blurt out his feelings the moment he saw Kenma again, or that he would make a fool of himself some other way. Kenma had always been his best friend but he had also always been a little hard to read. Would he simply reject Tadashi’s feelings and continue to be his friend? Or would he drop Tadashi out of his life forever? Was that what Kenma intended to talk to him about, had Tadashi been too obvious with his feelings?</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Mind racing, Tadashi threw some more cold water onto his face, dried off, and left the bathroom to rejoin his team. Entering the gym, it was easy to spot Kenma across the floor. Dyed hair fading slightly and showing off his dark roots, there stood Kenma next to a taller dark haired boy (Kuroo, Tadashi’s memory provided). His palms were clammy and he gulped audibly, heart aching and mind screaming that he was staring but too drunk on the image of the boy finally in front of him again that he couldn’t bring himself to care.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As if feeling the gaze boring into the side of his head, Kenma began looking over at the Karasuno team, finally landing on Tadashi. The boys locked eyes, and Tadashi watched everything else in the room disappear.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He would have sprinted to the other side of the gym and wrapped his arms around Kenma if not for all the other people in the room. So he contented himself to put a hand up in a wave, give a small smile. Kenma did the same, turning back to Kuroo after. Tadashi had nervously reddened and turned away, finding Tsukishima and trying to distract himself with the upcoming game.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The game began as all did, and the match was tough. Hinata and Kageyama impressed with their quick attack and every Karasuno player gave their best, but it was not enough to beat Nekoma. Tadashi was, of course, cheering on and rooting for his own team, but his eyes would simply not leave Kenma. He was incredible on the court, agile and quick-witted, a perfect fit for his team and a powerful asset for a powerhouse school. Tadashi noticed Kenma blink gratefully at praise, but never giving those small smiles that he gave Tadashi. This brought forth too many questions so Tadashi put it out of his mind and chalked it up to nothing.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once the team had lost, they came forward to shake hands with and congratulate the other team on a commendable game on either side of the net. Both teams had learned a great deal, and their respective coaches were secretly already planning a rematch.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tadashi reached the net and placed his hand under to clap a high five with most of the members of Nekoma. However, as he neared the end of the line, he neared Kenma’s hand. The first time touching him in several years and it would be in such a public place, not even in the comfort of one of their homes. He was terrified of already being crimson in the face, let alone what he might look like when Kenma did touch him, but instead of a simple high five when the two boys met, Kenma gripped Tadashi’s wrist delicately.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hi, Tadashi,” Kenma began. “Meet me in the left hallway.” He released his grip on Tadashi, moving to walk away from the net. He turned, the moved back to the other boy, adding, “I’ve missed you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tadashi burned. Every inch of him, spreading from where Kenma had touched him, burned. But it was the greatest feeling he had known in his time living. He dashed over to help Karasuno pack up, not wanted anything to be left behind or undone before he snuck off to meet Kenma. He quickly informed Tsukki of his meeting, simply so as not to be left behind by the bus if he was late.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Heart racing, Tadashi exited the gym and made his way down the left hallway as Kenma had instructed. The other boy followed quickly after, and when he reached Tadashi, before the younger boy could even get a word in, there were arms wrapped around his neck. Tadashi nearly sobbed, reaching his arms around Kenma’s back and holding him tightly.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kenma, I missed you,” he said.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I have something to tell you,” Kenma started, pulling away slightly but arms never leaving Tadashi’s shoulders. Tadashi noticed.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is... Well, you know how I am with feelings. But please let me get through this.” Tadashi nodded simply, eyes trained on Kenma’s face, searching for what emotion he could be portraying. He found nervous anxiety, worry, and something else he couldn’t put a name to.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kenma closed his eyes and blurted, “I like you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Oh.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Oh</em>, thought Tadashi. <em>That’s new</em>.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His heart was aflame, his chest burned, and his eyes pricked with happy tears but he had promised to let Kenma finish.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I like you, Tadashi. And I have for probably a long while but I didn’t realize it. And maybe I’m crazy or maybe I’m too late or maybe you think this is all completely weird. But I don’t want to stop being your friend so I have to confess this so I can get it off my chest.” Kenma opened his eyes again, staring desperately into Tadashi’s. “I like you. Maybe even love you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The confession sat between the two, still dangerously close. Kenma opened his mouth to say something else but closed it again, searching for an answer in Tadashi’s face.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tadashi gave one to him as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I like you too, Kenma. Probably even love you,” he murmured, still managing to tease the other boy, even in a confession so honest.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kenma’s eyes were wide and his small smile had returned. “You mean it?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tadashi laughed, nervous energy finally leaving him. How could he have ever imagined this going so perfectly? “Of course I mean it! I mean, just look at you!” he replied sincerely.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kenma cocked his head slightly, his turn to blush. “Look at me? What about me?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re wonderful,” Tadashi confessed.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bringing a hand up to Tadashi’s cheek, Kenma leaned forward and finally pressed a kiss to Tadashi’s lips. Tadashi met him in earnest, kissing him as if he had dreamed about it all his life, and he likely had. The kiss lasted only a moment, but Tadashi knew he wanted to do it again and again, forever if Kenma would let him.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That was my first kiss,” Kenma whispered with a grin, leaning his forehead against Tadashi’s.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mine too,” he laughed, taking in Kenma’s grin. He was beautiful, and Tadashi thought to himself, <em>he’s all mine</em>.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi yes this is my favorite ship at the moment and it doesn’t have much content so I did it myself. pls enjoy, my yamaken likers</p></blockquote></div></div>
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